Skip to content
NomezoNomezo

Boy name · Greek

Xander

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: short form of Alexander, defender of men

Xander is a boy's name that is of Greek origin: short form of Alexander, defender of men. It is used in English and Dutch.

Meaning
Short form of Alexander, defender of men
Origin
Greek
Gender
Boy
US rank
#259 in 2025

Meaning and origin of Xander

As a boy's name, Xander is of Greek origin: short form of Alexander, defender of men. It is used in English and Dutch.

Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names

Xander on Nomezo lists

What our editors wrote about Xander on 1 list.

  • “Borrowed from Alexander, short and edgy”

    From Nicknames for Alexa, cool nicknames for Alexa

How popular is Xander?

US rank in 2025
#259
1,335 babies, 782 per million boys
Best rank
#164 in 2017
2,414 babies that year
Babies since 1990
At least 40,281
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 2020s, at 1,032 per million.
Babies named Xander per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 2020s
1880s0 per million
1890s0 per million
1900s0 per million
1910s0 per million
1920s0 per million
1930s0 per million
1940s0 per million
1950s0 per million
1960s0 per million
1970s0 per million
1980s0 per million
1990s19 per million
2000s496 per million
2010s1,027 per million
2020s1,032 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank#201#164#171#169#187#187#200#215#215#259

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Names spelled like Xander

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • XavierNew house (Basque, boy)
  • XabierNew house (Basque, boy)
  • XaverNew house (Basque, boy)

Names with a similar meaning

  • AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
  • AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
  • AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
  • LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
  • MilanGracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names (Slavic, unisex)
  • AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
  • SandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
  • AlexDefender, protector (Greek, unisex)
  • AleksandraDefender of the people (Greek, girl)
  • AlexaDefender of men (Greek, girl)
  • AlexandreDefender of men (Greek, boy)
  • AlexandrinaDefender of men (Greek, girl)
  • AlistairDefender of men (Greek, boy)
  • EllaShort form of names such as Elisabeth and Eleonore (Germanic, girl)
  • NorahVariant of Nora, short form of Honora or Eleanor (Latin, girl)

Middle names for Xander

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.

  • AltonTown at a river's source (Old English, boy)
  • EliAscended, uplifted (Hebrew, boy)
  • EthanFirm, enduring (Hebrew, boy)
  • EzraHelp, assistance (Hebrew, boy)
  • JudePraised one (Hebrew, boy)
  • LeoA lion (Latin, boy)
  • LouisFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
  • WyattBrave in war (Old English, boy)

More boy names from Greek

  • LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
  • LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
  • HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
  • TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
  • LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
  • PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
  • SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
  • AndreasManly, brave (Greek, boy)
  • CyrilLordly (Greek, boy)
  • FilipLover of horses (Greek, boy)
  • KlausVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
  • LinusFlax plant (Greek, boy)
  • NarcisoNarcissus flower (Greek, boy)
  • NicoVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
  • StefanCrown, garland (Greek, boy)
  • TimHonoring God (Greek, boy)
  • AlcidesStrength (Greek, boy)

Xander: common questions

What does the name Xander mean?

Xander is of Greek origin: short form of Alexander, defender of men. Checked against Behind the Name.

Is Xander a boy or girl name?

Xander is mainly a boy's name.

Where does the name Xander come from?

Xander is of Greek origin: short form of Alexander, defender of men. Today it is used in English and Dutch.

How popular is the name Xander?

Xander ranked #259 in the US in 2025, with 1,335 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

What names are similar to Xander?

Names spelled like Xander include Xavier, Xabier and Xaver.

What middle names go with Xander?

Middle names that flow well with Xander include Alton, Eli, Ethan, Ezra and Jude. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.